Splash of Love | j.hs au

Chapter 23

"Your wish. What is your wish?" She stopped and mumbled to herself. "Did I forget how to speak to humans?"

Hoseok was a bit weirded out but had a suspicion. "Are you a...mermaid?"

Her eyebrows rose. "No, what makes you say that?" She seemed defensive.

"Don't know." Hoseok shrugged. "I was joking."

She didn't like that, simply rolled her eyes. "Anyways, what is your wish?"

He scoffed. "You're a genie or something? Maybe a magician?"

She stared at him, annoyed a little. "Fine. Wallow in your self pity. I don't care." She shrugged her shoulders and turned away to walk.

Hoseok thought about what harm it could do. "I'm looking for someone but I don't think I can find them again."

The mysterious person stopped in their tracks and turned towards him again. "Someone? I can help with that. Let's make a deal, okay?"

"What kind of deal?" Hoseok was now a little interested. How could this stranger help look for someone?

"You just need to give me this type of rare flower." She grinned.

That was too easy. Hoseok thought as he carried the flower in his hand and went back to the same spot. What she thought was rare turned out to be way more common. She might not know her flowers. When he returned to the same spot, she was sitting there and looked at him once he came near.

"Did you get what I was looking for?" She asked.

"Yes, here it is." He held out the flower.

Eagerly, she jumped off the rock she was sitting on and grabbed the flower. "Oh it is! Since you held up your end of the deal," She then held out a shell. "This can find anyone you're looking for."

Confused, Hoseok picked up the shell. "You're joking, right?"

"No?" She said, "Just say the name into the shell and it'll act as a tracker."

"It's a shell..." Hoseok repeated but looked at it more carefully. It was a simple shell, the kind that curved and was a striking green color. On one side of it, it had a peculiar design etched into it. Just for fun, he lifted it up to his mouth and whispered your name.

The stranger froze in shock and the shell started to glow. Hoseok was confused as the shell did so.

"Wait." The stranger held out a hand. "You're looking for Y/N?" Now confusion started to grow within Hoseok who nodded. "The Y/N about this tall." She held your hand out to your height and described you a bit more to which Hoseok nodded. "Oh, I know her."

"You do?" Hoseok's heart thumped in anticipation.

"Yeah. Don't tell me... You're the one that Y/N likes?" She looked at him. "Hm, I guess she would like you."

Connecting the dots, Hoseok had to ask. "You're really a mermaid, aren't you? I know that Y/N is one too." He quickly added seeing the defensive mode on her face.

She sighed. "I'll let you believe what you want to believe. You can call me Hae."

"Well Hae," Hoseok began, heart thumping with anticipation. "Is Y/N okay?"

Hae crossed her arms. "Don't know. Haven't seen her in a couple of days. Why did Y/N return to the ocean if you don't mind me asking? Her time isn't even up yet." Hoseok went on to explain what happened. "Well, your friend is a bitch." Hae concluded.

He sighed. "Yes." Then the sentence popped into his mind. "What do you mean, time isn't up yet?"

"Ah, Y/N can still come up onto land for another... month or so? Has it been that long?" She wondered to herself. "You know since mermaids don't have legs."

Hoseok stood there for a moment, processing her words. "Then how can I reach Y/N?"

A sly grin crept onto Hae's lips. "Let's make another deal?"

Hoseok sighed but agreed to it anyway. "Fine. What's the deal?"

"Wow, you've actually gotten better, Wonho." You teased from your spot on the rock.

Wonho playfully glared at you while your little brother laughed. "He has, hasn't he?" After the events, you shamefully returned back home. It wasn't your first choice. You had spent the first couple of days roaming around the ocean. Ultimately in the end, you returned home (not to mention the persuassian Irene used). So here you were, watching your brother's sword fight. Your parents were quite happy to see you return. Apparently, they learned that you were traveling the ocean. You thought for sure that Jihyo had told them you were living on land but it looks like she didn't.

It was a bit strange.

Your eyes glanced towards Jihyo and Irene who were harvesting some seaweed for tonight's dinner. You've been kind of out of it. You hardly felt like doing anything and sometimes when you were in a good mood, ventured out in the ocean like right now. Your emotions were a mess right now. Mainly being paranoid that Ae Ri had told the whole world about supernatural creatures living in the ocean. Except there hasn't been any activity so you're wondering if she even did so.

Your attention was caught by a familiar shiny fish. It swam around, capturing others' attention. All of a sudden, it darted away, barely missing the shell spear. With some lame excuse, you were going for a swim, you followed the fish and it led you to the familiar cave. Upon entering, your eyes adjusted to the dark and continued to follow the fish to where Hae kept her materials.

"Oh hello." She looked up from a... book she was reading from. Even your words had become muddled down here.

"Is something wrong?" You asked, eyes glancing around the various bottles of liquids and things she kept around.

"You tell me." Hae replied. "My fish only brings those who crave for something."

You shook your head. "I don't crave for anything." Your eyes then caught sight of a flower. It immediately reminded you of the flower shop. You're wondering how Hae got one.

Hae hummed. "And what are you doing in the ocean? I thought you were trying to get that guy to like you. Did you fight with your sister again?"

"No." You picked up the flower and felt Hae's eyes staring intently at you. "I thought it would be the best since he doesn't like me at all." Suddenly, something burned your fingers. "Ouch!" You dropped the flower and shook out your poor hands. "What did you do to the flower?!"

Hae scoffed. "That flower is like a lie detector for you and anyone connected to your lie. You simply lied."

"I did not lie! I don't even know what a lie detector is!" Now it was your turn to huff at her.

Hae shrugged her shoulders. "Yes you did. Go ahead and try it again. Now I need to collect my ingredients if you don't mind." She set the book down and swam to the end of her cave. You assume she kept more potions and ingredients back there. You picked up the flower again, wondering how Hae made it to be a lie detector.

It made you think about your last sentence. Hoseok didn't like you, right? Yeah right. But you still said a line, "Hoseok doesn't like me." To which the flower stung you again. "Why does that hurt so much?!" You dropped the flower again. Then you realized something. "Wait. Does Hoseok...like me?"

From the back of her cave emerged a figure that made you scream when they spoke to say, "Yes I do."

You whipped around so fast that your neck might have cracked to see Hoseok actually standing there. Well more like float there. Wait. You rapidly blinked seeing a tail where Hoseok's legs once were. "You... have a tail?!"

"It's a very long story." Hoseok chuckled.

"Yeah and that's something I don't want to go through again." Hae peeked her head out of the rock wall.

Your brain was still processing everything and it was starting to make you feel dizzy. "You..." You pointed at Hoseok and then at Hae. "You..." And that was when you fainted. It definitely wasn't your proudest moment.